MAGAZINE STORIES1. “Books of the Year 2016,”
The Economist (December 10, 2016)See what The Economist considers the best books of the year. They are an eclectic batch, covering many topics: politics, economics, history, language, microbiology, and even medieval European manuscripts. If the Library doesn’t have a print or e-copy of the book, you can search and request via HKALL, or ask the Library to purchase a copy.

An open access archive of Albert Einstein’s collected papers is now available. This digital collection includes Einstein’s 1879 birth certificate, academic transcripts, letters, lectures, and other papers. Perusing these documents reveals the 20th century’s greatest genius was, at least in some ways, a lot like the rest of us.

A paralysed man has been able to walk again after a pioneering therapy that involved transplanting cells from his nasal cavity into his spinal cord. The treatment, a world first, was carried out by surgeons in Poland in collaboration with scientists in London.

Hurricane Sandy has occupied the international headlines for days. It has caused over 100 lives and substantial economic loss. People are forced to face the inevitable climate change and rethink how we can adapt to it. Different countries undertake on-going adaptation projects to combat the increasing magnitude of natural disasters.

MAGAZINE STORIES

NASA’s Curiosity Rover made its first major discovery, sending back pictures of tiny rounded pebbles, the iron proof that a stream once flowed through the planet’s surface. The pebbles not only suggest liquid water was on the Red Planet, but that they were part of a stream that had been flowing for quite some time.

MAGAZINE STORIES

The article discusses research into nanobots, or microrobots, for the exploration of Mars and other planets. An overview of projects related to robots and space exploration is presented, including electronic communications array research conducted by physicist John Barker, TETwalker robots developed by NASA’s Autonomous Nanotechnological Swarm (ANTS) program, and the Networked TerraXplorer Mars base developed by engineer Constantinos Mavroidis.

MAGAZINE STORIES

Up until now, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence has primarily involved listening for radio signals deliberately or inadvertently sent by alien cultures into space. Recently, astrophysicists saw city-spotting as an alternative way to hunt for ET. They suggested to seek alien civilizations by searching for the lights from extraterrestrial cities. One virtue of the scheme was that it made few assumptions about the aliens. They didn’t have to be beaming messages at us; they merely had to share our fondness for artificial light, something common to every modern society on Earth.

MAGAZINE STORIES

Some of China’s leading carmakers including SAIC, Geely, Chery, JAC and Great Wall are beginning to establish their brands overseas. Last November, models from SAIC and Geely won high marks in crash tests by a European safety agency. Styling, however, is their weakest point. The Chinese government’s dream of dominating the world car market still seems distant.